


We Need To Talk About Kamui

by canadino



Series: babysitting au [3]
Category: Gintama
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-10
Updated: 2015-08-10
Packaged: 2018-04-14 00:19:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,189
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4543008
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/canadino/pseuds/canadino
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>An exploration of Kamui in the babysitting AU. New babysitters, same old Kamui.</p>
            </blockquote>





	We Need To Talk About Kamui

It was a fortunate thing Abuto was in his room at eight-forty-two in the evening, not working on homework as he had told his mother but fucking around as he was apt to do on a regular basis, because his window, which he was certain he had closed and locked, suddenly flew open and an eleven-year-old Kamui catapulted inside and right onto a pile of dirty clothes. “I’ve run away from home, Abuto,” he declared, still lying there on his back with - as Abuto’s sense of horror increased - a pair of boxers on his stomach. “Don’t call my house, will you?”

“You could have just used the door,” Abuto said.   


Further pressure on the issue revealed not much more detail. Kamui had gotten into an argument with his father, as he was apt to do on a regular basis, and had stormed out of the house. Before, Kagura might have talked some sense into their father, or at least tried to fight with Kamui to keep him inside, but nowadays with her new babysitter, she had taken a more hands-off approach to life at home. Abuto’s mother was understanding and more than happy to host the boy, offering dinner before going off into the kitchen where Abuto could hear her calling on the phone. Kamui sat in his living room grinning like nothing was wrong. “Thank you,” said Kamui, because as precocious as he was, he gave credit where it was due. “You’re the best friend I have.” Reality was, Abuto was more or less the only friend Kamui had, and even friend seemed to be too loaded of a term to refer to their relationship. Most of the neighborhood children had learned to stay away a few years ago when Kamui had almost taken his father’s hand off in a landscaping incident (“The hedge trimmer just got really heavy so it put it down,” Kamui told him, neglecting to say that he had put it down suspiciously close and very suddenly next to his father’s arm). He picked fights at school and destroyed any respect any natural troublemaker might have for his pluck by playing dirty. Truly, Abuto didn’t know much about psychology, but Kamui was a textbook example of a sociopath. 

“It always amazes me,” Abuto’s mother said at the dinner table. “That Abuto became friends with someone so young as you.”   


“Abuto’s like a big brother to me,” Kamui said, and the lie felt so transparent Abuto was certain his parents could see through it. For the people that lived in the area, the couple blocks connected by the Yato River that flowed in the backyards of all the residences, the river symbolized a bond that had translated into a small micro-community of sorts. While part of the neighborhood as a whole, they had separated into a small faction that was represented in town meetings and was known for generally being very passionate about the issues surrounding the river. That connection didn’t do much for a kid who was infamous for almost maiming his father and getting into spats with literally everyone over his ego. Abuto didn’t want to say he felt bad for the neighborhood kid who often played along the river by himself, but it didn’t seem that far from the truth either.   


Umibouzu came to collect his unruly son at nine-thirty. Kagura was standing next to her father with a disinterested expression on her little face. “Abuto!” Kamui cried, turning on him with anguish. “I told you not to call my house!”

“You were right next to me the whole time, did you see me call anyone?” Umibouzu grabbed one arm and Kagura grabbed the other, and together they marched the boy, growling and thrashing, out of the house and into their car.   


“Thank you for taking care of my troublesome child,” Umibouzu said to Abuto’s mother.  


“I’ll never forgive you!” Kamui yelled.   


[=]

A few days later, Abuto was forgiven. He knew this because Kamui ran up to him on the street. He had a high school boy in tow. “Abuto, this is Takasugi. My dad got worried after I ran away that one time and he hired a babysitter for me.”

The boy, Takasugi, peered at Abuto. “Hello,” Abuto said, wondering mildly why Umibouzu hadn’t considered paying him to be Kamui’s friend. It wasn’t that Abuto sought Kamui out, rather the other way around, but they spent so much time together he thought the babysitter role might be logically placed on his shoulders. Still, Kamui dividing his time between him and this new boy might prove beneficial; Abuto made sure every night his windows were indeed locked. 

“Kamui,” Takasugi said. “Are you sure we should be talking to a university student?” The bluntness suited him to be Kamui’s babysitter.  


“University?” Kamui looked at Abuto. “But he’s in high school just like you.”   


“What? Really?”  


“He was held back a couple years,” Kamui supplemented.   


Takasugi looked upon him with trepidation. “I’m not a certified babysitter,” he said, “but I can’t say this makes me feel more comfortable about this.”

“Abuto’s my best friend,” Kamui said. It was a title that on Kamui’s lips was losing more and more of its meaning. Still, the declaration made Takasugi close his mouth, although he trailed along behind them. Abuto thought better than to ask. Kamui wasn’t normally too much of a chatty person unless there was something exciting happening around him, so the silence between the three of them drew out to excruciating lengths. Takasugi didn’t seem to be one to break silences either. Abuto attempted to clear his throat.   


“So,” he said.  


“Ungyou!” Kamui yelled. “I thought I told you to never show your face again!” A boy had happened to step into view a few yards ahead of them, although the shock on his face clearly indicated this was as coincidental as the target of a falling leaf. He was clutching a copy of Jump and wearing a black high school uniform, obviously having just gotten out of school and spent his pocket change at the convenience store. Kamui started running at him straight away.   


“I just wanted to go home!” Ungyou cried, but Kamui had launched himself into the air and landed right against his side, biting into his sleeve and raining down a fury of his fists. It was more of an attack than a real brawl. Abuto let himself fall back; there was no need to incur collateral damage trying to stop Kamui. Without any sharp objects, Kamui was still just a bullheaded eleven-year-old and Ungyou was the unfortunate one to have run into Abuto one afternoon while Kamui was with him and drew the boy’s ire by ignoring him. Since then, Abuto thought his friendship with Ungyou had gotten quite strained, and he rarely spoke to Abuto between classes anymore.   


“Shouldn’t we step in to stop him?” Takasugi asked, although he hadn’t moved from his spot.   


“Let him tire himself out first.” The two of them stood and watched idly as Ungyou tried to fend the boy off. “Now’s a good chance as ever to ask: why did you agree to babysit this guy? I thought it was common knowledge he was a handful.”  


Takasugi didn’t say anything for a long time. “I was asked to by a teacher of mine whom I really admire,” he said eventually. “The kid’s sister is being looked after by his adopted son, who’s also one of my classmates. That asshole referred me to the kid’s father, and my teacher heard about it, so he asked me to do it.” Abuto watched as Takasugi’s lips turned up into what some might call a sneer and what some might call a pout. “I wanted to show Shouyo that I’m more responsible than Gin ever will be. I’ve heard of Kamui, and while I don’t particularly like looking after kids, I thought it couldn't be that bad.” 

“You’re using him to an end,” Abuto said. Takasugi looked at him. “That’s okay. He’s using all of us to an end too.”  


“What?”  


“His own personal amusement.” Kamui came trotting back with the Jump in hand, looking victorious. Ungyou, while only really getting his uniform wrinkled, was walking away utterly defeated. There was a big red mark on his cheek where one of Kamui’s blows had managed to land.   


“Look what I found, Abuto!” Kamui chirped. “Now we won’t have to steal it.”  


When they eventually returned Kamui back to his rightful home, Kagura was also being dropped off. The unbridled joy on her face as she kissed Gintoki goodbye melted right off as Kamui walked across the threshold. “Oh,” she said, flatly. “Look who’s home. 

Gintoki straightened up and grinned. “Good first shift, Takasugi?”

Abuto almost heard Takasugi grind his teeth at him. “It went well enough.”

Kamui ignored his sister. “Same place, same time?” he asked Abuto. “It seems to be a busy spot for high school students with fat wallets and no upper arm strength.”

“Really?” Gintoki said. “Then wouldn’t you say it was a good thing I told their old man that you’d make a great babysitter?”  


“Hey!” Kagura yelled. “Don’t ignore me! I know it; you’re going to be like what Gin says. One of those boys who never grows up and has second-year-syndrome and gets hated by all his classmates because he has d-delusions of…of…gran…granddad…”  


“Grandeur,” Gintoki offered helpfully. 

“Now that I’ve seen him home, I’m going home myself,” Takasugi said, to no one in particular. Abuto turned to him and saw Gintoki had too. “Don’t follow me, jerk,” he told Gintoki.

“Who’d want to follow you anywhere?” Gintoki asked. 

“Delusions of grandeur?” Kamui said. “Me? Why would I have any delusions about it?” Abuto decided to stop trying to keep up with the multiple conversations taking place at the same time. He was part of none and listening to everything. Perhaps this was why his mother lamented quietly over his constant repetitions of the same grade. Instead of studying or doing something worthwhile he was looking after troublesome kids and watching over arguments. Kagura made a face and the two of them started bickering. Takasugi disappeared the second time Abuto turned in his direction. 

“So what did you think of him?” Gintoki asked, appearing right at his other side. “Oh, right. He’s one of my dad’s students and he’s in my year. I guess you could call us friends or something like that. I was the one who recommended the bald pops to take him on as a babysitter.”

“He doesn’t really seem suited to it,” Abuto said honestly. 

“I know, right! He’s moody and confrontational.” Abuto didn’t say this was exactly how Kamui was. There was a saying that people who were extremely similar tended to either like each other or hate each other. “Have you been helping him out? It looks like you're keeping an eye on him.” 

“Well,” Abuto said, “I can’t let everyone here get eaten by Kamui.”

“Gintoki,” Kamui called. “It seems that you’ve been teaching my sister a lot of things. They seem really interesting! I was thinking, would you consider switching? Be my babysitter? I’d treat you right.”

“I think I’ll be going now,” Gintoki said. 

As Gintoki left, bidding Kagura farewell - her face lit up for a second then resumed its scowl at Kamui after Gintoki was gone - Umibouzu finally came out from the house and began scolding his children. Single fathers had it hard, Abuto thought carelessly. Kagura seemed repentant enough but Kamui would never relent. It was getting late. He had no business lingering around to see how Umibouzu disciplined his rowdy kids. He had barely taken a few steps from Kamui’s house when he heard voices from behind the thickets next to the street. 

“Don’t follow me, eh?” Gintoki was saying. “Then what are you doing, standing around here for so long? Did you forget something? Or did you want me to walk you home?” He was talking to Takasugi carefully out of sight from the main road, and they were standing very close to each other between the leaves.   


“I just thought you’d want someone to help you explain to Shouyo why you’re out so late. I don’t care anymore. He can think you’re a useless, vagrant son. Maybe then he’ll dump you off somewhere and adopt me instead.”  


Gintoki leaned forward but Abuto couldn’t see through the thicker parts of the shrubbery. “You’re so cruel and not cute at all. You just had to say you wanted to see me.” 

“So that’s how it is,” Kamui said. Abuto started. Kamui had followed him and was standing right next to him, peering into the greenery with him. “That’s really interesting. I guess we can wait to beat Shinsuke up.”   


“Children shouldn’t be seeing this,” Abuto said, steering Kamui back to his house.   


“Isn’t it good, though?” Kamui asked. “Now you know you won’t have to compete with him for my attention, because he’s already looking at someone else. You can have me all to yourself.”   


“I really don’t want to hear that coming from your mouth.”   


**Author's Note:**

> The title was supposed to be a reference to 'We Need to Talk About Kevin'. I can't help but slip in my ship biases. But I suppose if it's part of the babysitting AU verse it makes sense to keep continuity. Thank you for reading. Please leave a comment if you liked.


End file.
